The Lucky Country

2014-11-08 17:36 by TravisB

'Allo you.

Seems a few folks misread some of the silliness in my last newsletter. All I can say is­ it's worth reading more than just the first line of a document, in case a contradiction, or perhaps an insinuation of the unreliability of a previous piece of information should follow.

Or not.

There will be no new Goty...I mean, hey­ look over there! It's some new music!

“The Lucky Country” is the new single I recorded with The Basics at Abbey Road Studios earlier this year. Kris Schroeder and I started The Basics nearly 15 years ago, so we've shared a lot of songs in that time, but when Kris played me this song I was immediately impressed with its fervour, the way it unapologetically grapples with some of the complex issues we'd do well to talk more about here in Australia.

I remember sitting in the control room of Studio 2 at Abbey Road holding my breath as Kris veritably roared the amazing vocal on the track.­ I was captivated, and I hope you find something like this in the recording.

The animated lyric video was directed by our talented compatriot Andrew Mortlock, who you may remember also made the excellent vinyl record extravaganza of a clip for our last single So Hard For You.

We're releasing an EP ("extended play", for all those who have ever wondered) with The Lucky Country and other songs from the Abbey Road sessions right abouhhht...NOW, so here are the ways and means:

New music update & introducing Spirit Level

2014-10-21 14:26 by TravisB

There will be no new Gotye music.

Wait, maybe there will be. I’m not entirely sure right now. There are many contingencies.

One of those is the continued human capacity for sound perception. If the world gets noisier at the present rate, and instances of early-onset deafness rise correspondingly, and I release my magnus opus in a format that requires the generation and amplification of sound waves via some form of audio reproduction technology in order to be perceptible, will anybody hear this work?

I don’t know. But I think about these things.

One thing you can count on:
I will do my best to make it enjoyable for both of us.

Spirit Level: A new record label

I’ve started a new record label with Tim Shiel, a human being I like very much. It will be distributed in Australia by Inertia, a group of other human beings I like very much. We’re calling the label Spirit Level because one day, when the money’s all gone and everyone’s deaf, we might want to shift into architecture and construction. It would also give us the means to bury the evidence.

Why start a record label at this time? Quite simply, because there is incredible music being produced today.

Hahahaha. Oh, sorry. I am actually serious.

[THIS IS ACTUALLY SERIOUS]

The first release on Spirit Level is Anchor, the new album by Zammuto.

We’re honoured to be releasing this record in Australia as Tim and I have been inspired by the work of bandleader Nick Zammuto for many years, both his first record under the Zammuto moniker, and his many fine releases with duo the Books.

With Anchor, I think Nick has made a truly remarkable album. It’s the kind of record I’m always hoping to discover, but so rarely do: rhythmically complex yet effortless to follow (drummers’ brains, prepared to be explosioned), melodic and memorable despite being experimental with harmonic choices and musical arrangements, musically muscular with impressive, often virtuosic playing from ACTUAL HUMANS, yet with deft electronic production that supports the songwriting perfectly.

All in all, it’s one of the best records I’ve heard in many years, and for me it has the depth to be heard many years from now and still be transcendent, due in no small part to Nick’s excellent lyrics that are at once playful and insightful.

Being something of a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to making records, I feel compelled to mention the wonderful DIY aspect to the Zammuto project: Nick writes, records, mixes and masters everything on Zammuto releases. He also creates the group’s film clips and album artwork. It’s inspiring stuff and I really can’t recommend this work highly enough, so if you’re interested to hear something new, please listen.

The second track from the album Great Equator has a remarkable film clip that Nick put together using an electron microscope and many texturally varied materials which, when magnified, reveal unbelievable micro-landscapes.